Submitted by Virginia E. Hench, who transcribed this story of a Miss Frances Trask (who lived in Michigan when it was the frontier) from her copy of the very fragile book. As Ginny states, "it is a charming glimpse of past lives."
"The Village of Dixboro in Washtenaw County, Michigan, was first laid out by Mr. Dix of Massachusetts, and was once somewhat flourishing, though now a miserable looking place, owning scarce a dwelling that is not in a state of dilapidation. ...
Miss Frances Trask was a cousin of Mrs. Dix, and figured prominently at that day in the little community as a belle somewhat on the Amazon order. She had much talent, with a degree of cultivation that caused her to be looked up to with respect as a person of good qualities of heart, but her eccentricities and unfeminine defiance of general opinion in many trifling matters often startled her quiet neighbors and made it necessary for those who loved her most to defend her from censure. She was much admired by the men; her piquancy of wit, force and decision of character, and a sort of happy audacity, settling off to advantage her personal attractions. Yet she was not wanting in fitness for the usefulness peculiar to woman; in cases of sickness she could do more than anyone else, and would watch for many nights together, bearing fatigue under which an ordinary constitution must have sunk. In emergencies that required prompt action, her energy was praised with enthusiasm by her own sec. Finally, when pecuniary embarrassments made it necessary for Dix and his family to leave their home, and the wife, a gentle ladylike creature, was overpowered with grief, and could do little to expedite preparations, Frances was the nerve of them all. She packed up everything, dressed the children one by one the last morning, placing each on a chair when in readiness, with orders not to move, and with cheerful alacrity arranged everything for their departure. She had accustomed herself to firing at a mark, and was considered one of the best shots in the country, besides being able to ride a horse with any racer. It was said she could cut off a chicken's head at an almost incredible number of rods, and that she often went out deer hunting, but this last tradition does not vouch for. She was the life of picnics or pleasure parties, and seldom let pass an opportunity of making a smart or satirical speech, sometimes at the expense of delicate regard for the feelings of others. A certain Judge Thompson who had held office at Batavia at the time of Morgan's abduction, as sheriff of the county, and had earned a notoriety in no wise enviable, chanced to be helping her at a picnic on one occasion, and began to rally her on her penchant for meat. "Yes," she retorted, "I am fond of flesh, you of blood," a rejoinder which was keenly felt by the mortified official.
On another occasion, the lady seems to have met her match, being excessively annoyed by a gallant who chose to vex her by pretending to mistake her name, calling her "Miss Trash," and then correcting himself with an apparently confused apology. She used to laugh heartily, in mentioning a speech meant to be particularly ill-natured, leveled at her at a dinner party at Ypsilant by a lady of her own stamp, who had become irritated beyond forbearance by some of her sallies. Looking significantly at Miss Trask, she gave her toast, saying, "When Boston next takes an emetic, I hope it will turn its head towards the ocean."
It may well be imagined that those to whom Miss Trask chose to be amiable, liked her much, while she was thoroughly detested by those who had suffered from the arrows of her wit. Strange as it may seem, she was held in high esteem by many of her own sex, notwithstanding her boldness of carriage from which it may be inferred that she affected to be more lawless than she was in reality. She accompanied Mr. Dix and his family when they removed to Texas. Some two years since, when she returned on a visit to Michigan, the manifest change and improvement in her bearing and manners were the subject of general remark. She had grown absolutely quiet and dignified, so that those who had only heard of her early fame expressed some disappointment at not finding her the dashing sprightly creature she had been represented.
Time and the trials and labors incident to life in a new country had tamed her wild spirit; she had mourned the loss of a brother in the Texan service, and had undergone a second term of the difficulties and privation of pioneer life. The government of Texas, however, had shown that they appreciated her services by voting her a large tract of land in compliment to her opening the first seminary for young ladies in that State. This possession, with the portion of land assigned to her deceased brother, made her a wealthy woman. Among the curiosities she brought from her new home, her Mexican blanket attracted great attention from its novelty, elegance and richness. Some said it had been valued in Boston at a thousand dollars. A story had gone about, the details of which were denied by the heroine, that during the struggle in Texas, a Mexican attempting to force his way into the house at a time when Mr. Dix was too ill to act on the defensive, had been shot by the intrepid sister- in-law.
It may be conjectured that Miss Trask had many admirers. She had been engaged at Disboro to Sherman Dix, a relative of her brother-in-law and somewhat her junior, but they quarreled, it was said, upon one occasion when she was suffering from an attack of ague -- about some trifling matter, and the suitor was peremptorily dismissed. When the family removed to Texas some years afterwards, the young man followed and remained a bachelor, whether on account of a lingering attachment to the fair inconstant, or some other reason, it has not been recorded. Miss Trask's matrimonial destiny at length overtook her: she married at Austin a Mr. Thompson and was left a widow in a few months. Her nephew by marriage is Secretary of State in Texas, and a son and daughter of Mr. Thompson reside at Chicago."
"Frances Trask Thompson, girls' school founder, daughter of Israel and Judith (Somes) Trask, was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on July 20, 1806. She attended a seminary in New York in the 1820s, then moved late in that decade to Dixboro, Michigan, to live with the family of a cousin who had married John Dix. With that family she moved to Matagorda, Texas, in 1834. In late 1834 or early 1835, as advertised in the Brazoria Texas Republican,qv she opened a girls' boarding school at Cole's Settlement, later Independence. In 1838 she was in Houston to secure the headright grant of her brother, Olwyn Trask, who was killed in a skirmish preceding the battle of San Jacinto.qv In December 1838 she was awarded a section of land in Robertson, Bell, and Milam counties in appreciation of her services as a teacher. She operated Trask Seminary in an eighteen-square-foot log cabin until 1839 or 1839, when she sold the property to Henry F. Gillette.qv Gillette called the school Independence Academy.qv In 1841 Miss Trask was teaching at Austin. She subsequently taught at Rock Island, near Washington-on-the-Brazos, and later returned to Austin. On February 25, 1851, she married William Thompson of Michigan; they operated the Swisher Hotel in Austin until Thompson's death on September 1, 1851, when his wife resumed teaching; she held classes in the old Capitol. In 1854 Frances Thompson was a member of the Daughters of Samaria. She taught at Jasper in 1856 and in Karnes County in 1860. Late in 1860 she returned to Boston to live with her sisters. Upon their death, she moved to Ashmont, Massachusetts, to live with a nephew. She died there on March 31, 1892.BIBLIOGRAPHY: Georgia J. Burleson, comp., The Life and Writings of Rufus C. Burleson, D.D., L.L.D. (1901). Kate Miller Johnson, Some Pioneer Women Teachers in Texas Before 1860 (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1929). Trask Family Collection, Texas State Library, Austin."
Miss Frances Trask was an intrepid New England lady who came into this largely uninhabited country with the Dix Family who settled in Coles Settlement. She pioneered with her school in Coles Settlement,later known as Independence. She began her school with the five daughters of Mrs. Coles, adding the daughters of other plantation owners....Dr. Frederick Eby, thus sees a straight line of descent from Independence Academy to Baylor Female College. He writes: 'among the most popular schools for girls during the forties was Independence Academy which later flowered into the Baylor Female College. This institution, which is the oldest in the state, was removed to Belton in 1886.' (James 1986: 2-3) The school took Judge Robert Baylor's name as he assisted in preparing the charter, secured the charter's passage through the legislature, presided as president of the first Board of Trustees, and gave the first gift of one thousand dollars to Baylor College. The school was made up of two divisions, one for men and one for females.
I encourage you to read Dan R. Manning's article in The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. CIII, No. 4, April 2000, page 481.
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Daniel Webster Trask, the "stated" son of Captain Richard Trask, a mariner, by his mother, Julia Ann Craig, was born in the spring of 1847 at Masonboro Sound, New Hanover County, North Carolina. His father, Captain Richard (Tink) Trask, was the son of Captain John Tink, also a mariner, and Rebecca Pinson Trask, both were originally from Salem, Massachusetts. On June 6th, 1826, by an act of The General Court, Captain Richard Tink changed his name to Trask. This being due to the lack of assistance (to him and his mother) from the Tink family after his father, John Tink, drowned off the coast of Cuba during a hurricane on November 17th, 1789. Captain Richard's mother, Rebecca Pinson Trask, was the 5th generation and descendant of Captain William Traske from Salem Massachusetts.
Captain Richard Trask joined the firm of Samuel Train and Company of Boston in 1828 and bought an interest in a vessel involved with the Russian trade. In 1838 Captain Trask commanded (part owner as well) The St. Petersburg, (an impressive, 180 ton, vessel) which regularly sailed to England and Russia from several ports including that of Wilmington, North Carolina.
Julia Ann Craig's parents were Thomas and Dicey Craig from Southport and Wilmington, North Carolina. They were "Sounders," very resourceful people who made their living guiding the large cargo ships around the dangerous shoals that guarded the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Thomas Craig (in 1848) conveyed to his daughter, who was living there at the time and bore her son "Web," a tract of land, located near Whiskey Creek, Masonboro Sound, North Carolina, called "Prospect Hall".
A wonderful book about Daniel Webster Trask and his descendants, "The Carolina Trasks -An Informal History," was written (published in 1981) by Frederick Graham Trask. Included in the book are numerous family pictures, stories and a basic genealogy. Frederick has captured in words and conveys to the reader the spirit and perseverance of a fine American family.
The beautifully restored home of Captain Richard Trask, called "The Trask House," is located on Cape Ann in Manchester, Massachusetts. Contact Esther Proctor, Librarian for the Manchester Historical Society, or Lotte Calnek, Curator, at 1-508-526-7230 for public viewing hours.
The Trasks of Nova Scotia
Elias Trask, born on October 10th 1707 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, is the 3rd generation and descendant of Captain William Traske from Salem Massachusetts.Gwen Guiou Trask, obviously, spent years compiling the information necessary for her complete study of Elias Trask and his descendants. Her efforts and extensive research of the original records, i.e., deeds, wills, and grants, have provided us with factual information about the Trasks that settled in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Gwen's book, "Elias Trask, his children and Their Succeeding Race," (published in 1979) contains stories, pictures and genealogy. The genealogy goes well beyond the Trask surname. There is a general index as well as an index for surnames other than Trask and an index for Christian names of born Trasks.
Samuel Trask of Edgecomb, Maine
From Colleen M. Grim
My grandfather, Ralph Cole Saxton Jr., put together our family history in 1968. Most of his information (he said) came from his brother, David Buck Saxton and aunt Gertrude Trask. The capture of Samuel Trask can be read in the book "Castine" by George Augustus Wheeler, which is a history of Castine, Penobscot and Brooksville, Maine, pages 21-28.Samuel Trask was kidnapped by the Indians as a child and taken to the Penobscot region where his skill as a huntsman brought him to the notice of Joseph Debadis de Castine. During a season of great scarcity, while Trask and the Indians were gathering cranberries, a flock of wild geese alighted nearby. Trasks success in capturing some of the birds so commended him to Castin's favor that he purchased him from the Indians. Castine held Trask captive until he [Castine] was captured by English "freebooters" on 9 July 1725. It has be stated, that the "freebooters" in turn transferred him to a vessel commanded by the celebrated Captain William Kidd. But, Captain Kidd [b: about 1645, Greenock, Renfrew Scotland] was hanged in London, England sometime after his trial on May 23, 1701. Utimately, Samuel Trask was set free, built a home and raised a family with his wife, Hannah Steward, in Edgecomb, Maine. Edgecomb, Maine is on the east bank of the Sheepscot, east and south east from Wiscasset (Pownalborough until 1802), which was incorporated in 1774. In the early days it was called Freetown. He later died there 1n 1789 at an advanced age.
Until the investigations of deeds, wills etc. by William Blake Trask, it was always believed that Samuel, John, William Traske, b: 8-14-1671 Salem, MA was the one involved in this adventure. But as William Blake Trask demonstrates (NEHG, Jan. 1902, v. 56, pg. 70-73) no where can there be found, on any document associated with John Trask and or his family, any mention of a Samuel Trask. In fact, his was the only signature and name missing relative to parents, brothers, sisters and their spouces. The Samuel Trask living in Edgecomb, ME was, for a fact, up and about at that time. The conclution to be drawn is that the Samuel Trask, living in Edgecomb, ME was the son of Elias, John, William Traske, b: 1703 Salem, MA and d: 8-1789 at 86 years old. The Samuel, John, William Traske, b: 8-14-1671 Salem, MA, must have died young. There are no records of him (just his birth) or having a wife. -RWT-
The following letter written by Baron De castine, The Younger, in 1725 was Published by the NEGH Register, vol. 14, April 1860, page 139-140 [copied from MA Archives, vol. 52, pp. 226-9 by J.L. Stevens].
"Of Joseph Dabadis de St. Castin or "Castin the Younger" but little is known. He is represented by Father L'Auvergat--who however, was prejudiced against both him and his brother--as being frequently drunk and disorderly, but as having signalized himself in contests with the English. He was captured on one occasion, and had his vessel and an English lad whom he had purchased of the Indians, taken from him. The account of this capture is contained in the following letter written by him (Castine) to Lieutenant Governor Dummer":"at Pentagoet, 23rd July,1725
Sir:--I have the honor to acquaint you that the 9th of this present month, as j rode at anchor in a small harbour about three miles distant from Nesket, having with me but one jndian and one Englishman whom j had redeemed from the savages, as well as my vessel, j was attacked by an Engish vessel, the commander of which called himself Lieutenant of the King's ship, and told me also his name, which j cannot remember.Seeing myself thus attackt and not finding myself able to defend myself, j withdrew into the wood, forsaking my vessel. The commander of the vessel called me back promising me with an oath not to wrong me at all, saying that he was a merchant who had no design but to trade and was not fitted out for war, specially, when there was a talk of peace, and presently set up a flag of truce, and even gave me two safe conducts by writing, both which j have unhappyily lost in flight. Thus thinking myself safe enought, j came back on board my vessel, with my jndian and my Englishman, whom j brought to show that j had no thoughts of fighting, and that j had redeemed him from the jndians as well as the vessel. But as j was going to put on my clothes to dress myself more handsomely the commander who was come in my vessel with several of his people would not permit me to do it, telling me j was no more master of anything. He only granted me after many remonstrances to set me ashore.
But after j came down and they held forth to me a bag full of bisket that was given to me as they said as a payment for my Englishman. They did catch hold of me and the jndian who accompanied me, j got rid of him who was going to seize upon me, but my jndian not being able to do the same, j betook myself to arms-- and after several volleys j killed the man who kept him, and got him safe with me. This is the second time that j have been thus treacherously used, which proceedings j do not suppose that you approve of being against the laws of nations. Therefore j hope that you will do me the justice, or that at least you will cause me to be re-imbursed of the loss j have sustained.
Namely:--
For the vessel that cost me 80 French pistoles; For the Englishman 10 pistoles; 51 pounds of beaver that were in thhe vessel with 20 otters, 3 coats that have costed me twenty pence a pound; 2 pounds of powder at 4 livres a pound; 20 pounds of tobacco at 20 pence a pound; a pair of scales 8 livres; Tow cloth blankets each 23 livres; Tow bear skins 8 livres apiece; 4 skins of sea wolf 8 livres for the four; 3 axes 15 livres for both; 2 kettles, 30 livres for both, and several other matters, which they would not grant me, so much as a cup. The retaken Englishman knoweth the truth of all this, his name is Samuel Grass, * of the town of Salem near to Marblehead.
j have the honor to be
Sir
Your most humble & most
obedient Servant Joseph
Dabadis De St. Castin".
* This was Samuel Trask, to whom the following vote on the Danvers records refers, printed in Felt's Annals of Salem, 1st Edition, p.379: - "1725, April 30th, voted that the money, contributed for the redemption of Samuel Trask from the enemy, shall be appropriated for buying a bell; and that if said Trask should be heard of and stand in need of help for his redemption, that we will contribute towards it."
"The Trask here mentioned," says Mr. Felt, "belonged to Salem Village, and had been redeemed from the Indians by Monsieur Castin before July 9th, when he was taken away by the crew of an English bark."
In Felt's Annels, 2nd edition, vol. ii. p. 255, under date of July 7th, 1725, it is entered : - "Information is received that a sloop had been taken from the Indians, and Samuel Trask, of Salem Village, had been redeemed from Castine." - See "Samuel Trask's Adventures." in "Sewall's Ancient Dominions of Maine," p.251.
"Tales of a Wayside Inn"
Henry Wadsworth Longellow's "The Second Students Tale" which is part of "Tales of a Wayside Inn" tells the story of (Joseph's father) The Baron de St. Castine's father, who was at home in St. Castine, (a small town bordering the Pyrenees Mountains of Spain) longing to see his son again, who is in Arcadia. The Baron returned home in 1701 with his Indian Queen, child of Madockawando, "a dusky Tarratine".
The Baron was born, Jean Vincent de St. Castine at Oleron, France, one time Colonel in the King's Body Guard and Commander of "Carignan Salieres". He has also been referred to as Sieur de Badie and "Castine the Younger". In 1667 the Baron was discarged (when England surrendered The Province of Nova Scotia to the French) and came from Quebec to Pentagoet or Penobscot to live among the Indians. About the year 1687 he married the daughter of Madockawando, a Sagamore of the Tarratines. The Baron was legally married to her but was said to have had other wives. He fathered two sons, Anselm and Joseph Debadis as well as two daughters.
Descendants of Samuel Trask
From Deborah and Peter Flood
Debbie, a genealogist living in Idaho, submitted over seventy pages of information about the descendants of Samuel Trask from Edgecomb, Maine. Her work includes numerous references from other genealogists and Vital Records. In 1994 she went to Edgecomb, Maine and viewed the graves of her family in several cemeteries. Her efforts and tenacity are reflected in the specifics of the Trasks from Edgecomb genealogy.
At the moment she is writing a book called "The Mighty Trask Sea Captains". Which is about Capt. Ebenezar Trask and several of his descendants that sailed to and from all corners of the world on some very prestigious ships. Debbie's maternal grandmother, 8-1. Mable Adele Trask, was born on board the clipper ship "Bohemia", off of the coast of Chile, which was commanded by 7-11. Capt. Gardner Gove Trask.Debbie sent us information she found at the Wiscasset Public Library, i.e., "Samuel Trask-Captive and Pioneer", an article written by Virginia Chase in "Down East", Fanny Chase's Wiscasset in the History of the State of Maine, Documentary History of the State of Maine, and Collections of the Maine Historical Society.
Samuel(4) Elias(3) John(2) William Traske(1)
On 31 May 1784 Samuel Trask made this deposition before a Judge; "I, Samuel Trask, aged more than 80 years, have lived in Sheepscot River more than 48 years and in my first settlement there I was well acquainted with the Indians and well understoon their language, as in my younger days I was captivated by them and lived among them and frequently went up and down said river in canoes, rafts, and vessels. The Indians at that time used frequently to be and lodge at my house in numbers."He was captured by the Indians sometime in 1711 and taken to the Penobscot region. Joseph Debadis de Castine purchased him from the Indians early in 1725 and held Samuel until at least July of 1725. Samuel retured to Salem and married Hannah Steward [sometimes recorded as Stewart] on December 28th 1730. Hannah was the daughter of James and Elizabeth Steward from Rowley, MA. They lived in Salem, MA during their first year, moved to Rowley by 1732 and finally settled in what was Freeetown now Edgecomb by 1744. He was an early settler on the Sheepscot "Where in years gone by, he had ofted visited and made a clearing on the east side of the river, near Folly Island. Trask, having lived a long time among the Indians of the Penobscot tribe, became quiet skilled as a physician, and when he came among the early settlers of Freetown he was known as Dr. Trask." He is also said to have initiated the story that Captain Kidd buried a pot of gold on Folly Island (F. Chase, Wiscasset in Pownalborough, p. 438 (note V. Chase's article indicates Capt. Kidd died before Samuel Trask was born!). Samuel died in Edgeconb on August of 1789. Hannah died there nine months later.
Captain Gardner Gove Trask died at 82 years, captain of the down easter sailing ship, the "Bohemina". Birth date on death certificate lists 20 October 1843. He was cremated at Cypress Lawn Crematory, Feb 15th 1926 and buried at sea.
The "Bohemia" was built by the Houghton Brothers, Bath Maine in 1875 (221.7' 40 X 25.5'-1663 tons). The "Bohemia" made 12 passages from Atlantic ports to San Francisco; one from Antwerp to Yoknohama, Kolbe to San Francisco; one from Cardiff to Rio de Janeiro, British Columbia to San Francisco; one from New York to Rio, Newcastle, Australia, Manila and Philadelphia. Average of her 12 passages to San Francisco is 132 days, one of 118 days from Liverpool being the shortest. From "A Maritime History of Bath, Maine and the Kennebec River", by Baker, 1973, Marine Research Society of Bath, p. 641 "Longest lived of the ships of the Houghtons' fleet was the 1,633-ton "Bohemia" which slid into the Kennebec on 16 September 1875. Bath was her home port for the many years that she was managed by her builders. The "Bohemia's" first master, Captain John P. Deleans, took her to New Orleans to load cotton and following a 29 day passage from Southwest Pass to Liverpool he sailed her to San Francisco in 124 days. After she came back to the Atlantic on her maiden voyage Captain Delano returned to the Houghtons' "Austria" that had been build for his command. Captain Gardiner G. Trask replaced him on the "Bohemia" and had her for nine voyages until 1890; third mate under him for a time was Sanuel R. Percy who later became a prominent shipbuilder at Bath. While crossing from Japan to San Francisco in 1880 the "Bohemia" was caught in a typhoon losing all three topgallant masts and nearly a complete suit of sails including those furled on the yards; gales and high seas continued for 14 days. Captain Trask received much credit for bringing her safely into San Francisco rather than putting back to Yokohama or some other Japanese port where repairs would have been expensive. Before being sold in 1897 to the Alaska Packers Association for use in connection with their salmon canneries the "Bohemia" made 12 passages from Atlantic ports to San Francisco; one from Antwerp to San Francisco via Japan; one from Cardiff to Rio de Janeiro, British Columbia, and San Francisco; and a voyage from New York to Rio, Newcastle in Australia, Manila, and Philadelphia. Of 11 passages from San Francisco to Atlantic ports ten were to Europe with grain. For a carrier the "Bohemia" sailed well and her 88-day passage from Manilia to the Delaware Breakwater was only four days over the record from the Philippines to any American Atlantic port. She arrived at Philadelphia several days before her papers which had been forwarded by steamer. Sold to shipbreakers in 1925 the "Bohemia" was spared and became part of C. B. Demille's "Hollywood Navy" in 1927 Renamed the "Yankee Clipper" she was featured in the motion picture (silent film) along with the Sewall-built "Indiana" which had had a similar career-launched in 1876, in the grain trade without serious accidents, sold to the Packers in 1898, and by them to shipbreakers in 1925. In 1931 with all sails set, the "Bohemia" faced three United States Navy submarines disguised as German U-boats in the filming of the motion picture "Suicide Fleet"; explosive charges on board and shells from the submarines' guns finally sent her to the botton." From "American Merchant Ships 1850-1900, series two", by Frederick C. Matthews, Salem Mass., Marine Research Society 1931, p. 42..they talked about the Bohemia and Trask ...."In later life he was prominent in San Francisco shipping affairs."
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There is a landmark (a very large granite boulder) on the Maine coast by Penobscot Bay, near Castine, called "Trask's Rock". George Wheeler wrote, "At a place where the Americans landed, was commonly known as White Rock or Trask's Rock. A fifer boy by the name of [Honorable William] Trask [of Gloucester, one of the only survivors of the conflict, was then 14 years old], was behind this rock playing his fife while his comrades made the ascent up the bluff against the British who held the bay, on July 28, 1779. This Trask, some fifty-five years ago, (1820) visited the place, and pointed out to several citizens, the exact spot where the landing was made. Previously to Trask's visit, it was called "Hinchley's Rock," after a Captain who is said to have climbed upon it to cheer on his men, and to have been shot on the rock."
While Colleen was looking at some of Gertrude Trask's material see found a pamphlet celebrating the Centennial (1844-1944) of the United Baptist Church or old Trask Meeting House of South Jefferson, Maine. The pamphlet says:
"It was on Oct. 27, 1824 that a little band of worshippers, residents of South Jefferson, met and organized the church
society now known as the United Baptist Church or Trask Meeting House. They had no church building but met faithfully in the Boynton
Schoolhouse. The Trask family donated a large tract of land on the hill overlooking Dyer's Pond. Under the able leadership of Deacon Thomas Trask, a revolutionary soldier, the church building was planned, framed
and built. In 1844 it was dedicated. Since that date services have been held regularly."
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Marvin Warner Trask, and his brother Josiah Trask set out for the west on Marvin's return from the war. Marvin, as a veteran of the War of 1812, could well have intended to claim bounty lands. Marvin W. and Josiah Trask are listed in the Census of 1820 as living in Monroe County, Illinois. Monroe County is located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. The brothers were decedents of Osmond Traske one of the "Old Planters" of the Massachusetts Bay Plantation. The brother's father, Sampson Trask, was a Revolutionary War soldier and was born in Monson, MA. Sampson first married Huldah Steere of Stafford, CN. After Huldah died, Sampson married Ruth Blodgett. There is some evidence that Ruth died and that Sampson married again before Thomas Putnam was born, somewhere in upstate New York. Sampson Trask died around 1810. He probably died in upstate New York since Marvin W. Trask ran away as a bound boy and joined Captain Asa Sizer's Company of the New York Militia on November 14, 1812 at Utica, NY. Being bound out was a form of apprenticeship or indentured servitude that was legal for a long time in this country. It was what happened to many young persons whose parents died. A legal contract was signed between the adult in charge of the young person and the person they were bound to for a specific period of time. The person who bound out the young person received a sum of money from the person who bought the bound out person. The new master was obligated to care for the bound person for a specific number of years. Marvin W. enlisted as a trumpeter and took part in the "Battle of Sackett's Harbor" in upstate New York.
Some time during the 1820's Thomas Putnam Trask moved west and joined his older brother Marvin Warner in Webster (Palmer today) at the lead mines in Washington County, Missouri. Josiah married Hannah Varnum on March 1, 1822 in Illinois. He joined his brothers in Missouri sometime after Hannah's death around 1842.
Marvin W. Trask had settled in Missouri as early as 1826, part of the Louisiana Purchase, and married a widow, Alice Stewart Steen, November 18, 1827 at Webster Mines. Thomas Putnam Trask married Mary "Polly" Campbell (the daughter of a Scotsman, Samuel Campbell) on October 3, 1828 at Webster Mines. Samuel Campbell had a Spanish Land Grant in Upper Louisiana. This was in the days when France had sold Louisianna to Spain, repurchased it but not officially taken it back over. It was required that any Americans take an allegiance to the Catholic church to get a Spanish land grant. That must have been tough for those Protestant Scots Irish frontiersmen. Elbridge Trask went further west about the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Polly Campbell was born in upper Louisiana before the purchase from France by President Jefferson. Marvin W. Trask filed for lands on Huzzah Creek near where Gibbs school was later built in Crawford County. Thomas Putnam filed for lands on Dry Creek near where the Westover Mill was later built. Josiah Trask came to Crawford County and married Rachael Cartwright on July 5, 1846. He settled in the Liberty Township area.
Marvin W. and Thomas Putnam Trask were both buried on their farms. Marvin Trask is buried on his old homestead east of Steelville. I kept searching until I found his grave. He is buried beside his first wife and with Mr. and Mrs. Clonts out in the woods near where his house used to stand. The cattle had knocked over his tall headstone. My two younger sons and Stanley Scott of Steelville and I put up a fence to keep the cattle out [picture]. No one has beem able to locate the grave of Josiah Trask. He is probably buried on his old farm. His farm could probably be found by researching the Crawford County land records.
All three brothers became very much envolved in the public life of Crawford County and the State of Missouri. Marvin W. Trask was the surveyor of Crawford County and in 1844 was it's representative in the State Legislature. Thomas Putnam Trask was an early Justice Of The Peace in Crawford County. Josiah Trask was the overseer of roads in Liberty Township.
They all had large farms and the first few pages of the first land claims book of Crawford County is filled with entries filed under the brothers names. Thomas Putnam Trask was envolved in mining lead. In 1850 Thomas Putnam and his son Andrew Henry went overland to California and successfully engaged in gold mining for ten years. They travelled to California with a large party of men. These men's names can be found on the 1850 census records of California. Thomas Putnam and Andrew returned to Missouri on ships by the way of Panama and the Mississippi River.
Modern day decendents of Thomas Putnam and Joshia Trask still live in Missouri and nearby states. The Only decendent of Marvin W. Trask known to still live in Crawford County is Stanley Scott of Steelville, MO. Three sons of Marvin W. Trask left Steelville and moved to San Francisco, California. One of these brothers was Eugene Trask. In 1871 he helped set the type of the first newspaper in Crawford County. He married Mary Johansen in 1879 (b: 2-1858 Marlbo City, Island of Loland, Denmark, daughter of Jorgene and Anna Johanson from Denmark). They had at least four children. In 1880, after clerking in a drug store for several years, he established his own drug store in Steelville, MO and was a member of the Missouri State Pharmaceutical Association. In 1884 Eugene was elected (1886 re-elected) County Treasurer.
Andrew Henry Trask [picture] married Melzinia Moutray, a Scots woman, on February 24, 1853 in Washington Co., MO. In 1862 Andrew H. Trask enlisted in the Union Army, Company E, 32nd Missouri Infantry, and took part in the battles of Chickasaw Bluff and Arkansas Post. He held the rank of Sergeant, and after one year's service was discharged on account of ill health. Only seven of their fourteen children lived to maturity. Once Greatgrandpa Andrew Trask was up near St., Louis and got word that greatgrandma Melzenia was sick. He rode a big white stallion back home in record time. That white stallion had a reputation all over the country for his speed and endurance. Old timers still talk about that stallion and the ride. Everyone wanted to breed their mare to the stallion. Melzinia's father, James H. Moutray, was a gunsmith who lived with the Delaware Indian Tribe. He had left North Carolina at age 18 and worked his way west, stopping to fight in the Kentucky Indian wars. He worked for General William Ashley at the lead diggins in Washington County Missouri. He also worked for the infamous John Smith T., the duelist. During the War of 1812, he was a Lt. in Major Andrew Henry's company. Thomas Putnam Trask named his first son after Major Andrew Henry. I did several years research on Major Andrew Henry. I have contemplated writing a book about him, but the problem is, he never kept a journal like others in the fur trade did. I'm sure, that is why no one has ever written a book about him. I still found lots of other journals others kept with information about him.
Great grandma Melzinia Moutray Trask's brother, Septimus Riley Moutray "Sept", went on a wagon train to California in 1846. He hired on to drive a team of oxen for a man named Laird. He got married on the trail and it all is recorded in diaries people on the train kept. See Bernard DeVoto's book "Across The Wide Missouri" for a description of the trailside wedding. All the Hollywood depictions of Weddings on the Oregon trail, I suspect are taken from the description of Uncle Septs wedding. If you have ever read Francis Parkman's book "The Oregon Trail", this wagon train is the one that Parkman and the half breed Dorian visited to buy the horse from at Fort Laramie. Parkman had a very low opinion of the frontiersmen in the wagon train. When the train got to Bridger's Fort in what is Southwest Wyoming today, part of the train decided to take a shortcut to the great saltlake. A man named Hastings convinced part of the wagon train that they could save a lot of time on his cutoff. It was true that it was a shorter route to the Saltlake, but was difficult to get the wagons over the route. The part of the train that the Lairds and Uncle Sept were on, went the regular way. When they got to California, Uncle Sept and his wife went to Sutter Fort and sawmill. That was before the gold strike there. In the spring a message came in to Sutter's Fort that the other party was trapped in the Snow of the high Sierras and starving. Uncle Sept and several of the men at Sutters Fort went to a ranch near Donner's Pass and using snowshoes and each carrying as much food as they could, they hiked into the pass. They found the people in a starving condition and some had turned to eating the dead bodies to survive. Each of the rescuers carried out a child on their backs and taking another load of food went back to the pass. I don't remember how many trips they made back to the pass. Uncle Sept was supposed to get a cash reward from the US Government, but they never came through. Septimus Riley Moutray, great grandma's brother, is buried in California without even a headstone.
Henry Septon Trask is my grandfather Julius Trask's brother. The Henry in his name came from his father and the Septon came from my great-grandmother's brother, Riley Septemus Moutray. Uncle Sept got struck by lightning and killed west of Miami, Ok. He had a metal pan over his head and was trying to rescue some baby chicks in a hail storm. He was the oldest child of Judge Andrew Henry Trask that lived. He had a brother and sister that died during the Civil War. When greatgrandpa came home from fighting on the Union side, Uncle Sept was the only one of the three children still alive. There was an epidemic of Scarlet Fever that killed many children during the Civil War.
My father, Haskell Scott Trask, served two terms as Mayor of Fairland, OK and was a School Administrator. My grandfather, Julius E. Trask was Sheriff of Crawford Co. MO and carried out his duties on horseback. He carried his pistol in his saddlebags, not on his hip. My great grandfather was Judge, Andrew Henry Trask, the presiding judge of the County Court for years. My great-great grandfather was Thomas Putnam Trask. He was a "Justice of the Peace" in the early Missouri Territory days.
"We're just a bunch of Bostons living in the west."
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